U.S. reveals accusations against Secret Service

Associated Press

June 15, 2012

WASHINGTON — Secret Service agents and officers have been accused of involvement with prostitutes, leaking sensitive information, publishing pornography, sexual assault, illegal wiretaps, improper use of weapons and drunken behavior, according to internal government reports reviewed by the Associated Press on Friday. It wasn't immediately clear how many of the accusations turned out to be true.

Express Newsletters

Get the latest news, sports and food features sent directly to your inbox.

The new disclosures of so many serious accusations since 2004 lend weight to concerns expressed by Congress that the Secret Service prostitution scandal in April in Colombia exposed a culture of misconduct within the agency. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan apologized for the incident during a hearing in May but insisted what happened in Colombia was an isolated case.

A leading senator who has been investigating the Colombia scandal, Susan Collins, R-Maine, said some of the accusations appeared legitimate and that “adds to my concern about apparent misconduct by some of the personnel of this vital law enforcement agency.”

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., said Friday an investigation by the Secret Service's inspector general is continuing and the public should withhold judgment until that review is complete.

The heavily censored list, which runs 229 pages, was released quietly under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act to the Associated Press and other news organizations in the wake of the prostitution scandal. It describes accusations filed against Secret Service employees with the Homeland Security Department's inspector general.

Some of the accusations occurred as recently as last month. In many cases, the government noted that some of the claims were resolved administratively, and others were being formally investigated.

The complaints included an alleged sexual assault reported in August 2011. The incident was closed in February.

They also included an anonymous complaint in October 2003 that a Secret Service agent “may have been involved with a prostitution ring,” and separate arrests for solicitation in 2005 and 2008.

A dozen Secret Service officers, agents and supervisors were implicated in the Colombia scandal and eight have been forced out of the agency. At least two employees are fighting to get their jobs back.